Importance of Good Dog Food
So, you’re looking for the best raw dog food? Your dog’s diet is one of the most important aspects of their health. A healthy and wholesome diet is the building block of your dog’s entire life. Choosing raw food can be a great way to ensure your dog receives quality nutrition.
Sadly, raw diets can also potentially harm your dog. Choosing a poor raw diet can impact your dog’s health as well because they have very specific nutritional needs. If you choose to feed your dog an entirely raw diet, you should do so under the supervision of a veterinarian.
Thankfully, a number of different dog foods incorporate raw elements into your dog’s diet. This is a great way to boost your dog’s health without putting them potentially into danger. It is also a much more affordable route.
Five Best Raw Foods
As a certified dog trainer, both my own dogs and my clients’ dogs have sampled a wide variety of different food types. I’ve used that experience to provide you with an all-encompassing guide to the best raw dog foods on the market.
Each of these foods has a certain scenario or feature that sets it apart from the rest: taste, all-around use, value, etc. It is difficult to provide an all-encompassing choice of which is the best dog food, but we have ranked them in terms of quality, price, versatility, and more.
Here is our unbiased review of the top 5 best raw dog foods available!
Top Raw Food Choice
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Review Highlights:
“… My fussy, skin sensitive dog LOVES this food! This one she digs right in & not a morsel goes to waste! I will continue to purchase this food and am thrilled to have found it! …”
“… I put this new food out and let me tell you, no problem. [My picky dog] not only ate without fussing but when he was done he was looking for more …”
“… This is the only dog food that doesn’t make my [dog] sick. It’s amazing, and she is back at competing weight …”
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This is our top pick because it is a happy medium between a purely “raw” diet and a high-quality kibble diet. This food incorporates both elements to give your dog peak quality nutrition. It provides all the nutrients your dog needs to live a happy, healthy life.
Feature Highlights:
- Real turkey is the first ingredient.
- Made with wholesome freeze-dried pieces of chicken.
- Contains an impressive 31% protein.
Overall, this food is a great choice to begin incorporating raw elements into your dog’s diet. It is a high-quality kibble with raw diet added to ensure a balanced and nutritious meal. With this food, your dog gets everything they need nutritionally, and then some!
This product uses all-natural ingredients to fuel your dog’s energy needs. With turkey raised on U.S. farms, you know your dog is receiving only the best quality food from a limited list of wholesome ingredients. Recommended for: German Shepherds, Pitbulls, Huskies, Beagles, and more.
Favorite All-Natural Pick
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Review Highlights:
“… This is a miracle product. My extremely picky [dog] took to this food the minute I set it down and ate it all… this stuff is amazing!! …”
“… It’s not overly expensive like other freeze dried dog food and has really good ingredients that I trust and feel comfortable feeding my pups. Oh and they absolutely love it!!! They will sit and beg for their food …”
“… My Yorkie Loves It! I love It, too! She licks the bowl clean, every time! … a wonderful healthy product …”
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Speaking of wholesome, all-natural ingredients, this product takes the cake. This food provides your dog with a freeze-dried, raw, purely natural diet made with lamb and a variety of fruits and vegetables for a balanced meal.
Feature Highlights:
- Made with real, New Zealand lamb for easy digestion.
- An amazing 80% protein content.
- Contains human-grade ingredients for the highest quality.
If you are looking for real, wholesome, all-natural ingredients for your dog, this is the choice for you. This food is made with human-grade quality ingredients so you know your dog receives only the best. With real protein and real fruits and vegetables, your pet gets balanced nutrition and you get peace of mind!
Because it contains no artificial preservatives, colors, or flavors, this food is 100% natural and good for your dog. With a limited set of ingredients and no fillers, this food is a great choice for dogs with allergies or sensitivities. Recommended for: Pitbulls, Poodles, Yorkies, Beagles, Shetland Sheepdogs, and more.
Best Value Raw Food
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Review Highlights:
“… My dogs love it. I believe it has to be the best food I’ve seen. I started with the smaller feeding and followed the directions exactly. I’ve never seen so much food in my life! …”
“… My two dogs love it! They lick their bowls completely clean, so much so that I have to take them away after they finish because they will keep going! I definitely recommend this brand if you are looking for a high-quality, easy to prepare dog food! …”
“… I’m very excited to have found this food… my dogs all eagerly gobbled up every drop of this new food. Impressed so far …”
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Wait before you flinch at the price! This food is a great value choice because even though the bag weighs just ten pounds, it contains 40 lbs. of food for your pet! Simply add water, and you have a great value choice for a truly raw diet.
Feature Highlights:
- Made with organic whole grains.
- Real dehydrated chicken is the first ingredient.
- No preservatives, by-products, or fillers.
This food is incredibly impressive. It has wholesome, natural ingredients, and lasts much longer than you would expect for the size of the bag. The dehydrated food expands when you add warm water, which makes a ten-pound bag last for way more meals than you would expect!
If that wasn’t enough, the food contains human-grade ingredients. This means that your dog’s food is made with real, quality ingredients that you could eat! If it’s good enough for you, it’s good enough for your pets. Recommended for: French Bulldogs, Maltese, Shih-Tzus, Boxers, and more.
Top Raw Food Add-In
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Review Highlights:
“… My [dog] loves Stella and Chewy’s. It’s been a few months and she has been doing great so far. She has normal regular bowel movements, soft silky fur, and no more flaky skin …”
“… It’s good stuff. And reassuring to know it’s human grade food that is raised with no chemicals and antibiotics or growth hormones, and from pastured, humanely treated animals …”
“… I could not be more pleased not only with the quality of the food, but also with the difference I have seen in my pups. Their coats are gleaming, and their overall health has improved dramatically with the addition of Stella and Chewy Meal Mixers …”
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If you want a midway between raw diet and kibble, why not cut out the middleman. Choose a high-quality dog kibble yourself, and save some money. Then, add this product for a raw boost that gives your dog a little extra quality!
Feature Highlights:
- Limited ingredient formula contains no added fillers or by-products.
- Comes in a variety of different flavors.
- Made with protein sources.
This product is a wonderful choice to add to your dog’s kibble. It contains balanced nutrition and lots of protein to keep your dog fueled. In addition, it is quite tasty, and will help encourage your dog to eat the rest of their food!
Another great feature of this product is the quality of the meat used. Stella & Chewy’s uses cage-free chicken in their mix-in to provide your pet with quality, cruelty-free nutrition. With all-natural wholesome ingredients, you simply cannot ask for more! Recommended for: Yorkies, Pitbulls, Pugs, Labrador Retrievers, and more.
Favorite Raw Food for Small Breeds
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Review Highlights:
“… My fur baby is doing so well on this food. She is all over the place jumping like a puppy! [My dog is] still doing very well and still loving her food!!! …”
“… [My dog] has kept a healthy weight, has tons of energy and a healthy coat, and last but not least, LOVES the freeze-dried pieces in this food …”
“… Our Beagle loved it from the start. She cleans her food bowl out quickly. She has not suffered any digestive upsets and I think she is absorbing more nutrients …”
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Small breed dogs have high energy needs, and raw diets work wonderfully for them in this respect! This food is a great midway point between a purely raw diet and a standard kibble.
Feature Highlights:
- Made with real, high-quality beef.
- Formulated with natural ingredients and fortified with vitamins and nutrients.
- Contains freeze-dried raw meat and whole-food ingredients.
Formulated specifically with small breeds in mind, this Raw Boost food is a wonderful choice for your pet. With all-natural ingredients and added raw “bits” your dog receives well-rounded nutrition while also ensuring they get only the best in quality.
This food leaves out unhealthy additives, preservatives, fillers, and other potential irritants. It also contains added prebiotics for your dog’s digestive health. This makes it a great choice, even for dogs with allergies or sensitivity. Recommended for: Toy Poodles, Shih-Tzus, Schnauzers, Yorkies, and more.